Council pledges to splash cash on homes and flood defences

Gosport Borough Council has promised to carry out a programme of repairs and improvements to housing in the town, a well as setting aside money for flood defences and the waterfront redevelopment – a total of £8.3m.

This decision is an amendment to a spending programme that is due to run to 2021.

In that time, £3.5m will be spent on housing, £3.8m on protecting the coastline and a further £1m on the waterfront redevelopment.

In addition to this, £400,000 has been committed to the Splash Pool and facilities in Lee-on-the-Solent.

The original capital programme for 2017-2021 was agreed earlier this year.

Cllr Stephen Philpott said: ‘The waterfront development is very important to the future prosperity of our town centre.

‘The £1m’s purpose is to attract other funds – if we can put that up ourselves we can use that as leverage from the private sector.’

Cllr Dennis Wright said: ‘What concerns me is that whenever we propose a development like this, it always includes a lot of houses.

‘Gosport is already suffering problems with roads, the lack of doctors and the hospitals – and while it’s good to see improvements, what does concern me is that the infrastructure cannot cope already.’

Leader of Gosport Borough Council Cllr Mark Hook said: ‘We will be looking to attract other organisations to have a more exciting scheme, and there needs to be a balance there.

‘There will be an element of housing but it is important to create a leisure and retail experience, so that when people look over to Portsmouth they decide to stay in Gosport.’

The motion for the new capital spending programme was approved by the council after a vote.

Tributes were paid by councillors at the start of the meeting to the late councillor Jill Wright, and a minute’s silence was held.